Our Mission

Shakespeare's works reflect many of the themes and challenges present in our world today, offering catharsis and hope. The Irvington Shakespeare Company (ISC) seeks to perform Shakespeare's plays in ways that everyone can understand in order to better process this critical moment in time.

Shakespeare's words speak to the complexities of our life and the foibles of human nature. It is a complicated time in Westchester, socially and politically. Change brings to the surface confusing emotions for a lot of our neighbors. Shakespeare’s bold stories of people’s flight from the known to the unknown, marked by death and redeemed by love can open a space to reflect on discordant emotions. If we can process this moment in time, as a community without judgment, then art has fulfilled a fundamental purpose: to uplift while we entertain. We aim to provide that form of art.

We produce professional theatre and workshops to entertain and inspire audiences, aiming to showcase local talent in Westchester, the greater Hudson Valley, and throughout New York State. We will take steps to ensure our productions are inclusive creatively as well as accessible physically by producing plays at a free or affordable cost while being mindful of stage performances all people can understand, and attend through public transportation. We approach our workshops with the same lens, committing to accessibility over all other aspects of our programming, and we will work with each institution or group in providing them with high-quality educational experiences, regardless of financial status and budget availability.

Executive producer

THE CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT PRODUCTIONS, INC. (CIP)

The Center for Independent Productions, Inc. (CIP) was founded in 1980 as a 501(c)(3) organization.  CIP’s mission is to produce, direct, distribute and raise funds for theater and documentary films that have explore social, educational and historical subjects.  CIP (and Pacific Street Films the production entity of CIP) has functioned as the non-profit sponsor for many grants over the years, from the National Endowment for the Humanities to the Ford Foundation, as well as numerous smaller family foundations. In 2021, we became Executive Producers of the Irvington Shakespeare Company project. We loved their idea that Shakespeare’s works reflect many of the themes and challenges present in our world today, offering catharsis and hope. They seek to decolonize and perform Shakespeare's plays in ways that everyone can understand in order to better process this critical moment in time. We help them produce professional theatre to entertain and inspire audiences, aiming to showcase local talent in Westchester, the greater Hudson Valley, and throughout New York State. We take steps to ensure our productions are inclusive creatively as well as accessible physically by producing plays with an intersectional lens, at free or affordable cost, while being mindful to stage performances all people can attend through public transportation.

Small theater movement

Modeled after the Small Scale Agriculture Movement of local farms and farmer’s markets replacing giant agricultural corporations, we at ISC believe the future of art in America should come from within communities, by community members, and for community members. If we invest in local artists and support their efforts, we can de-centralize art from the toxic, capitalist system of Broadway and Hollywood and put the power of entertainment and inspiration back into our own hands. ISC is the beginning of this process and if you’re interested in learning more, please reach out!

Logo design

Our logo took nearly four months to design. It was a thoughtful, meditative, and ambitious journey, but our final look represents everything we could have ever wanted. And the one to thank is the incomparable Agatha Rybicki! Her deft attention to detail and style was matched by her passionate dedication to the story we wanted to tell. We are forever grateful for her friendship, talent, and focus. To find more of her work, you can visit: knockoutletterpress.com

Photography

The essence of a play is difficult to capture. It is a thing meant to be enjoyed together, live and in the moment, which means the challenge of documenting theater is vast. How does one capture the magic of a living, breathing piece of art, while also translating to the world what it was like to sit in the audience and experience all it had to offer? Luckily, the guy who can do it is Westchester’s very own Nik Bucci! His stunning, breathtaking photos of our productions allow us to share with the world all that ISC has built and what it can create. He is vital in helping us do this work, and we are so thankful for everything he does for our little company. To find more of his work and inquire about hiring Nik (highly, highly recommend!), you can visit his website: cottagestudios.com